The Brazilian heavyweight was released by the promotion after an out-of-competition test came back positive for stanozolol on July 29, 2017, prior to a planned fight with Christian Colombo in Sao Paulo. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) hit Felipe with a two-year suspension.
Felipe is already back in the testing pool, his manager told MMA Fighting. The suspension ends Sept. 18, his manager said, and Felipe will be cleared to fight after completing his six-month testing period, on Jan. 15.
When the positive test was announced in 2017, Felipe released a statement saying he was “well aware that I haven’t used any substance prohibited by USADA” and “didn’t even take caffeine capsules anymore” after entering the testing pool.